For eight Vancouver-helmed TV series, the cancellation bubble has popped.
After a tumultuous three seasons, Batwoman will not be returning to CW. There have been multiple issues with the set (and behind the scenes) over three seasons, including an injury that left a production assistant paralyzed from the waist down and star Ruby Rose leaving the series and levelling accusations of an unsafe work environment, which the production studio WBTV strongly denied.
Rose was replaced by Javicia Leslie, who took to social media to thank the Vancouver crew and shared some highlights of her time on the series.
To the disappointment of DC fans, Legends of Tomorrow has been cancelled by CW after seven seasons.
This one is not a huge surprise as star Nick Zano announced his exit from the series in March and it was on the “maybe” list for an eighth season. Fans rallied to save the series with the #RenewLegendsofTomorrow Twitter campaign, but so far the series has not been picked up by another network.
Under financial scrutiny, the Netflix cancellations are rolling in.
So far, Space Force (which moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver for its second season for budgetary reasons) has been axed. The series reunited Steve Carrell with The Office producer Greg Daniels but critics and audiences never warmed up to the workplace dramedy. The streaming giant recently secured 500 thousand square feet of studio space in the Lower Mainland for its original programming.
A few other filmed-in-Vancouver Netflix shows didn't make the cut for 2023. The Baby-sitters Club was cancelled in late March and even though fans and critics adored the show and rallied for another streamer to pick it up, so far no takers. Another Life has been cancelled after two seasons.
CW also axed The 4400 after one season and the rebooted Charmed.
Between the number of jobs lost on these three shows (TV crews employ anywhere from 50 to 100 people) and the DGC BC issuing strike notice, it’s shaping up to be an uncertain summer for some of the 65,000 workers employed directly and indirectly by the film industry.
